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A Thunderbolt and a Broken Cross

For so tiny a place, the Cotswold village of Taston, or more accurately ‘hamlet’, has more than it’s fair share of interesting features. None can be so dramatic – in the most understated of ways – than the lump of rock hurled in rage by the Norse God, Thor and now wedged between the roadside and a wall.

The Thorstone (from which the village’s name is derived) is one of a number of standing stones that litter this part of the Cotswolds. They range in size from the extensive Rollright Stone Circle to the single unnamed stone that can be found in the town centre of Chipping Norton.

Close to the Thorstone are the remains of a medieval preaching cross. Many were destroyed during the Puritans time of Cromwell (mid 1600s) but their base, as here, still remain.

Ancient stone houses, many of them listed by English Heritage, line the three narrow streets of Taston. Exploring on foot is the best way to see them and to absorb the villages tranquil atmosphere. It is highly unlikely that you will meet others doing the same!

It is on foot, that you will find, tucked away beneath the trees, the memorial fountain to Henrietta, Viscountess Dillon. Built in 1862 of limestone, granite and pink sandstone, it has the words In Memorium in a decorative arched band beneath its spire.

Taston lies 4 miles southeast of Chipping Norton and 1.5 miles north of Charlbury.